A day after a 28-year-old Bangladeshi woman, Shanta Paul, was arrested by the Lalbazar Detective Department in Kolkata for allegedly possessing Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and voter ID cards, the police on Friday said that they are now probing her financial transactions focusing on whether the woman forged documents to secure a loan from a bank.
According to police sources, Paul allegedly took a loan and investigators are now scrutinizing whether she used forged documents to secure it. This scrutiny follows her social media posts, where she had reportedly mentioned her plans about opening an eatery, suggesting potential misappropriation of the loan funds.
Paul is an actress and model by profession and has a significant social media following on Facebook with nearly 41,000 followers, the police sources said.
Additionally, the officials are also examining Paul’s travel vlogs, as the content allegedly includes advice to other Bangladeshi nationals on how to enter and reside in India using medical visas. The police are now investigating if Paul influenced or assisted anyone to follow similar actions.
Paul was arrested with two fake Aadhaar cards and a ration card earlier this week, used these fraudulent documents to pose as an Indian resident for her travels across the country. One of the fake Aadhaar cards listed an address in Purba Bardhaman, while the other had a Kolkata address.
She reportedly used her Kolkata address to obtain a ration card, which was then used to create the fake Aadhaar cards, the police said.
Paul remains in police custody, and officials are actively coordinating with relevant government bodies including UIDAI and the Election Commission, to verify the documents seized and to uncover the full scope of her alleged crimes. The investigating officials suspect that creating a false Indian identity was part of a larger plan.
The investigation suggests that Paul, unable to travel to certain foreign countries from Bangladesh, intended to use her fake Indian identity to facilitate international travel. Further, details have surfaced about her travel history, revealing Paul’s visit to Nathula Pass near the China border in Sikkim. Investigators are also scrutinizing her social media page, ‘Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh’, to determine the extent of her travel business.